One month into 2017, where do you stand?

January does not officially end until next Tuesday, but this Friday marks the end of the last full week in the first month of 2017. To say the last several weeks have been busy for us would be an understatement, but what about you? 

If you recall, we told you at the beginning of the month that this year was one of progress and accountability. We’re going to keep you in check and we have asked you to do the same of us. Some of you have even gone so far as to email or tweet at us regarding promised updates. For that, we thank you.

Our month has been spent planning not only the rest of 2017, but also where we want to go in 2018. We have been doing a lot of research into how the industry has evolved in recent years in hopes of better understanding where things are headed. Our prime reason for existing has always been to fill the need people have for secure way to share unreleased music, but will that always be a need people have? There is no way to know the answer, but we can guess from past trends that things are going to continue evolving and we need to be aware of how those changes impact the industry’s needs. If we can predict that, which is a big if, then we can stay ahead of the game.

But what about you? Some of you have told us about albums you hope to record and companies you hope to launch, but how far have you actually gotten toward achieving those goals? If you are still dragging your feet at the starting line, it’s okay. Be honest with yourself about your progress, or lack thereof, and ask yourself what simple steps you can take to accomplish more in the month ahead than you have in recent weeks. 

There is a lot of 2017 left, but unless you make changes now you are going to struggle to achieve your goals in a timely manner. If you need help, just ask. We are always here for you.

James Shotwell